vaughn



March 3, 1964 HAIR CURLING DEVICE Filed Sept. 28, 1962 INVENTOR. FIG. 3 auoomu m. VAUGHN A TTORNEVS R. M. VAUGHN 3,123,081

United States Patent 3,123,081 HAIR CURLING DEVICE Rudolph M. Vaughn, 611 Lido Park Drive, Newport Beach, Calif. Filed Sept. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 226,977 2 Claims. (Cl. 132-41) This invention relates generally to hair curling devices and more particularly to a novel clip and form member to facilitate hair curling.

It is common practice for Women to curl their hair on cylindrically shaped cores. Some of these devices comprise screen-like structures which are sufiiciently porous to enable waving fluid to soak through the screening to all sides of the hair. Generally, the friction of the curling device, particularly when in an open-mesh form is sufiicient to enable the user to start curling of the hair and to hold the core in place. However, some skill is required in that the initial portion of the hair is not properly anchored. Further, it is difficult to remove the core Without destroying the curl.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel combination clip and hair curling core structure in which the end portion of a persons hair may be secured preparatory to rolling the same about the core so that curling of hair is facilitated.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a novel clip means for curling hair in which the clip may be easily removed without destroying the curl.

Another important object is to provide a novel combination clip and hair curling device which is very simple and economical to manufacturer Briefly, these and many other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing a hair clip in the form of an elongated engaging surface having a bent portion curved upwardly and backwardly at one end to provide an arm defining a clip with the initial engaging surface. The bent portion includes a cut-out defining a tab which may be depressed to raise the arm thereby enabling opening and closing of the clip.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the engaging portion constitutes one longitudinal edge portion of a rolled tubular member having a longitudinal slot. Thus after an initial portion of hair has been clipped to the engaging member, it may readily be rolled about the slotted tubular member Without any possibility of slipping. After the curled hair has been set with waving solution, the entire cylindrical core may readily be removed simply by opening the clip and sliding the core in an axial direction.

A better understanding of the improved hair curling device of this invention will be had by now referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one of the hair curling devices of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of FIGURE 2.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the hair curling device includes a rolled tubular member having opposed longitudinal edges 11 and 12 defining a longitudinal slot 13. The slot 13 is tapered as shown to provide an overall taper for the rolled member. The longitudinal edge portion 12 includes a bent portion extending axially from one end and then curving radially outwardly and back on itself as at 14 to pass back along the outside of the tubular member in the form of an arm 15. This arm as shown is generally parallel to the longitudinal edge portion 12 so that a clip structure is defined. The arm 15 terminates at the end of the longitudinal edge 12 as at 16 so as to be 3,123,081 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 substantially coextensive with the length of the rolled tubular member 10.

With particular reference to both FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be noted that the bent portion 14 includes a cutout area 17 defining a tab 18 extending further radially outwardly in a raised condition from the remaining portion of the bent surface 14. The arrangement is such that depression of the tab 18 by a users thumb will result in the arm 15 raising to the dotted line position 15' against the bias of the curved bent portion 14- on either side of the cut-out 17 so that the clip is opened sufiicient ly to receive an initial hair portion.

With particular reference to FIGURE 3, it is to be noted that the width of the cut-out portion 17 and thus the tab 18, as indicated by the letter w, is greater than one-half of the width of the bent portion 14 which total width may be defined as 2d+w. Stated differently, the total of the small widths of the opposite edges of the cutout 17 as indicated by the letters at is less than the width w of the tab 18. As a consequence, depression of the tab 18 will result in bending of the bent portion about the smaller dimensioned opposite edges of the cutout so that the arm 15 will be raised when the tab 18 is depressed. If the width w of the tab 18 were less than one-half the width of the cut-out portion so that the dimension 2d totaled more than the width w, depression of tab 18 would simply bend the tab itself and would not result in a separation of the arm 15 from the remaining portion of the clip.

It will be evident from the foregoing description of the structure that the entire tubular rolled member 10 as Well as the various clip portions may be made by a single stamping operation. After this stamping, the arm portion of the clip may be bent around to form the clip and the tab 18 bent outwardly. The remaining laterally extending surface portion is then rolled to form the slotted tube 10.

The operation of the hair curling device of this invention will be evident from the foregoing description. When it is desired to form a hair curl, the user will initially lock a portion of hair in the clip by depressing the tab 18 to open the clip to the dotted line position as illustrated in FIGURE 2. When the tab 18 is released, the spring of the metal will securely hold the arm 15 against the edge portion 12 to lock the hair in place so that the hair may then be rolled about the tubular member ill. After the curling has been completed, permanent waving fluid may be employed in a conventional manner. When the hair has been properly set, the entire tubular structure may be removed by simply opening the clip by depressing the tab 13 and sliding the entire structure to the right along the axis. This removal is simplified because of the tapered configuration of the tubular member.

The invention thus provides an extremely economical hair curling device which is very simple in operation and which will facilitate greatly the curling of hair. While only the one particular embodiment has been set forth and described, various changes that fall clearly within the scope and spirit of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The hair curling device is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the exact embodiment set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A hair curling device comprising, in combination: a rolled tubular member having a longitudinal slot defined by opposed longitudinal edge portions, one of said edge portions being extended in an axial direction and including a bent portion curved radially outwardly and then back on itself to extend along an exterior side of said tubular member in the form of an arm to define a clip with the initial portion of said one longitudinal edge, a part of the bent portion having a cut-out defining a tab extending radially outwardly further than the remaining bent portion whereby depression of said tab separates said arm from the initial portion of said one longitudinal edge sufficiently to temporarily receive and hold upon release of said tab a portion of hair preparatory to curling said hair about said tubular member as a form, said tubular memher being tapered in an axial direction to facilitate removal of said member after hair has been curled thereabout.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the width 10 d of said tab is greater than one-half the Width of said bent portion so that flexing of said h'ent portion upon depression of said tab takes place at the edges of said cutout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,827,061 Giuliano Mar. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,163,186 France Apr. 21, 1958 

1. A HAIR CURLING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A ROLLED TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT DEFINED BY OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS, ONE OF SAID EDGE PORTIONS BEING EXTENDED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION AND INCLUDING A BENT PORTION CURVED RADIALLY OUTWARDLY AND THEN BACK ON ITSELF TO EXTEND ALONG AN EXTERIOR SIDE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IN THE FORM OF AN ARM TO DEFINE A CLIP WITH THE INITIAL PORTION OF SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE, A PART OF THE BENT PORTION HAVING A CUT-OUT DEFINING A TAB EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FURTHER THAN THE REMAINING BENT PORTION WHEREBY DEPRESSION OF SAID TAB SEPARATES SAID ARM FROM THE INITIAL PORTION OF SAID ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGE SUFFICIENTLY TO TEMPORARILY RECEIVE AND HOLD UPON RELEASE OF SAID TAB A PORTION OF HAIR PREPARATORY TO CURLING SAID HAIR ABOUT SAID TUBULAR MEMBER AS A FORM, SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING TAPERED IN AN AXIAL DIRECTION TO FACILITATE REMOVAL OF SAID MEMBER AFTER HAIR HAS BEEN CURLED THEREABOUT. 